There Are Some People Who Don't Wait

I shared the following on my Facebook page, but it's too good not to post here as well.

Robert Krulwich (who hosts Radiolab—a phenomenal radio show & podcast if you're not familiar) delivered an inspiring commencement address to graduates of the Berkeley School of Journalism. The full text his talk is now available online.

His message applies not just to journalists, but ALL creatives. Here's a brief snippet:

… I want you to just think about this: Think about NOT waiting your turn.

Instead, think about getting together with friends that you admire,
or envy. Think about entrepreneuring. Think about NOT waiting for a
company to call you up. Think about not giving your heart to a bunch of
adults you don’t know.

Think about horizontal loyalty. Think about
turning to people you already know, who are your friends, or friends of
their friends and making something that makes sense to you together,
that is as beautiful or as true as you can make it.

And when it comes to security, to protection, your friends may take
better care of you than CBS took care of Charles Kuralt in the end. In
every career, your job is to make and tell stories, of course. You will
build a body of work, but you will also build a body of affection, with
the people you’ve helped who’ve helped you back.

Go read the full address. You won't be sorry.

Jane FriedmanAuthor

Jane Friedman is a full-time entrepreneur (since 2014) and has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She is the co-founder of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest. In addition to being a columnist with Publishers Weekly and a professor with The Great Courses, Jane maintains an award-winning blog for writers at JaneFriedman.com. Jane’s newest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press, 2018).